Thung Yai - Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary
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Thung Yai - Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary Thai World Heritage The vast expanse of Huai Kha Khaeng forest is home to a variety of flora and fauna. Thung Yai-Huai kha khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries are the most abundant forest reserves in Thailand. Karen ethnic people in the west of the country and experienced hunter from town and city have known for long that these sanctuaries are home to a variety of wildlife animals, especially Asiatic or Wild Water Buffalo. The creature became extinct in other forests in the country, but was found roaming these sanctuaries in 1965. As a result, shortly after, Huai kha khaeng and Thung Yai Naresuan forests were declared wildlife sanctuaries. In April 1973 a Royal Thai Army helicopter crashed in Bang Len district of Nakhon Pathom province. Numerous carcasses of protected wildlife animals were retrieved from the debris. The story caused a media sensation and became a subject for investigative journalism. The media later found that passengers on board were returning from a hunting trip in Thung Yai forest. The scandalous story called into question the special privileges held by the country’s rulers at that time. Then it became one of the driving forces behind the antidictatorship uprising of 14 October 1973. Since that day, the reputation of these sanctuaries has become widely recognised. Every time the reserve comes under various kinds of threat, all nature lovers have no hesitation in protecting it as best they can. In December 1991 UNESCO reached its decision to inscribe Thung Yai - Huai kha khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries on the World Heritage List thanks largely to three outstanding characteristics based on four UNESCO selection criteria. Thung Yai - Huai kha khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries were the first-ever internationally recognised natural heritage sites in Thailand and Southeast Asia. Location The Thung Yai – Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary lies about 350 kilometres north-west of Bangkok, adjacent to the Burmese border. The western part of the sanctuary is known as Thung Yai Naresuan, the eastern part western part of the sanctuary is known as Thung yai Naresuan,the eastern part as Huai Kha Khaeng. The sanctuary area encompasses two important river systems, the Upper Khwae Yai (sometimes called the Mae Klong) and the Huai Kha Khaeng. Chong Yen viewpoint, Mae Wong National Park. Mae Khamin waterfall, Srinakarin Dam National Park. Thi Lo Su waterfall, Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary. History of Thung Yai - Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary One Life and a World Heritage Site These protected forests are most valuable and important for conservation in the form of wildlife sanctuaries in order to maintain a natural environment that is rich in the biodiversity of forest ecosystem, flora and fauna. These protected forests can guarantee the survival of wildlife animals and protect them from the considerable threats of hunting,illegal logging in some areas home to certain species, and unhealthy development that is not based on basic conservation of the ecosystem. Sueb Nakasatien Before 1 September 1990 Sueb Nakasatien was still an unknown conservationist, but his headline-grabbing death brought him posthumous recognition and caused a dramatic impact on Thai society. During the period between 1982 and 1987 a project on constructing a hydroelectric plant on the upper Kwai Yai River, also known as Nam Chone Dam, was in the pipeline. The construction of the reservoir meant greater deforestation in Thung Yai Naresuan forest, covering 142 square kilometers. As a forestry academic Mr. Sueb was a major force among environmental groups in a campaign to protest against the dam protect until it was Sueb Nakasatien (Centre) actively opposed a forest cancelled concession in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary in 1998. Thank to this environmental movement Mr. Sueb hit on the idea to nominate Thung Yai – Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List to ensure that these nature reserves were permanently protected. As a result he devoted himself entirely to writing a report on these two protected areas before submitting it to the World Heritage Committee in June 1990. In the same year, Mr. Sueb was appointed as a chief of the one-million-rai Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary. Owing to financial constraints Apart from the unique natural characteristics of the and limited manpower he found it hard to protect the Thung Yai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries, sanctuary from illegal poaching and logging gangs. state cancellation of the Nam Chone Dam Project is Consequently, Mr. sueb could not help but shoulder also attributed to World Heritage recognition. This is the burden and emotional tension. a rarely seen picture showing dramatic mountains and a large stretch of thick forest at Nam Chone mountain pass, a dam construction site. In the early hours of 1 September 1990 the sound of a gunshot was heard in a house where Mr. Sueb was living in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary. He had decided to end his Life by his own hand. His death caused an emotional impact on nature lovers and social justice seekers as well as raising environmental awareness in society. Since then Mr.Sueb has been recognised not only as a forestry official but also as the figurehead for environmental conservation groups in Thailand. A few months after Mr.Sueb death, UNESCO inscribed the Thung Yai- Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries on the World Heritage List. Finally, his lifelong dream had come true, but at the expense of his own life. Significance of Thung Yai - Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary The Biodiversity Hub of the Tropical Forest Thung Yai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries are located in the Thanon Thongchai Mountain Range and reach as far away as the Tanaosri Mountian Rang. They are also situated in a monsoon zone. A majority of the area is covered with a chain of steep mountains and diverse geography, ranging from high peaks, cliffs and valleys, to limestone-rich caves. Two significant river, Kwai Yai and Kwai Noi, wind through the nature reserves. Both rivers are tributaries of the Mae Klong River, which runs through Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi province before flowing into the Gulf of Thailand. A lofty mountain range hinders the southwest monsoon, which subsequently makes the rainwater amount on each side of the range markedly different. The western side has abundant rainfall, whereas the majority of the eastern side is a closed area, thereby having poorer rainfall. Thanks largely to the diverse geography, the nature reserves are rich in the variety of wildlife animal and plant species. They are also home to almost every kind of forest ecology in Thailand, such as deciduous and evergreen and deciduous dipterocarp forests in mainly attributed to the selection of Thung Yai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries as World Heritage site. They are tropical forests that are rarely found in the other parts of the world. Dry evergreen forest is a ecological community in a monsoon climate, which experiences a dry season for around three to four months a year. That is the reason why some deciduous species mingle with drought-resistant nondeciduous species. The dry evergreen forest grows in the wet area without any forest fires. The area also has deep soil that is suitably able to hold water. The annual rainfall amount to 1,500 millimetres on average and is located up to 950 metres above sea level. Deciduous dipterocarp forest is found in the area with poor rainfall, at lower than 1,250 millimetres per year, and experiences a dry season around six months in a year. The area also has shallow soil that can hold moisture for a short time and which has fewer organic substances. Thus, deciduous forest grows in great abundance in this area. Shorea obtuse and S. siamensis are common trees here. It is open forest and the main ground plants are grasses, a food source for herbivores. Deciduous dipterocarp forest is found only in five countries in the world, namely Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. A painting shows a mosaic of significant forests in A map shows the distribution of varied forests in Thung Yai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries. Dry evergreen forest harbours important wildlife animals thanks to an ecosystem that is perfect for a variety of animal species. And dry evergreen forest mostly grows side by side with deciduous dipterocarp forest and mixed deciduous forest. Thus, it becomes an ideal habitat for all herbivores and a major food source during the dry season when grasses grow rapidly after the forest fires. 1. Dry evergreen forest. The significant species include Dipterocarpus turbinatus, Vatica harmandiana, Polyalthia viridis, Walsura. trichostemon and Baccaurea ramiflora They mingle with deciduous species such as Afzelia xylocarpa and Pterocarpus macrocarpus and with ferns, vines and orchids. 2. Mixed deciduous forest. The significant species include Afzelia xylocarpa, Pterocymbium tinctorium, Lagerstroemia cuspidata and Bombax anceps etc. They mingle with various bamboos such as Bambusa bambos and Thyrsostachys siamensis. This forest type is open and full of vines. 3. Deciduous dipterocarp forest The significant species are Dipterocarpacece families, which include Shorea obtuse, S. siamensis and Dipterocarpus obtusifolius. Sunlight shines through the thin tree canopy to the ground. Forest fires rang here annually during the dry season. 4. Hill evergreen forest grows at the top of mountains that are up to 1,000 metres above sea level. The significant species are plants in the Castanopsis sp. Trees grow thickly in the dry evergreen forest. The The ground under the dry evergreen forest’s dense canopy affords plenty of shade. canopy is mostly covered with Zingiber sp.,Alpinia sp. and Boesenbergia sp. Sapria himalayana is a parasitic plant species that is incapable of photosynthesis, so it needs to depend on sap from roots of certain plants, such as Tetrastigma leucostaphyllum.